One thing was made clear about the Los Angeles Lakers game strategy against the San Antonio Spurs after the first playoff game; get the ball inside to Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, often and always. Since the absence of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have become an inside-out team now, and Coach Mike D’Antoni is going to stick with it.
Howard and Gasol play a huge part in the Lakers offense as they both accounted for 28 of the Lakers’ 73 shots during Sunday’s game (38.4%) but also contributed 10 of the Lakers’ 18 turnovers.
Their approach of how they get Howard and Gasol in Game 2 will be tweaked in order for them to be successful against the Spurs. The problem is if you go to the well one too many times against a solid, well-coached defensive team such as San Antonio, the predictability will hurt the Lakers. Gasol states:
"Let's see if we can have a little bit better ball movement before we try to get the ball in, because if we try to fight it too much and force it too much is when the turnovers came in, most of them. So, we just got to move their defense a little bit better and swing the ball; then try to post the ball up into Dwight or myself. Then it won't be as easy for them to front or make things hard for us."
Coach D’Antoni plans for the next two practices before Wednesday’s Game 2 is to “clean up the offense.” This means that the Lakers will have to cut down the turnovers and also shoot the ball better. The Lakers shot just 41.1% overall from the field and a horrifying 3-15 from behind the arch. Coach D’Antoni says:
"A lot of it is just not being familiar with what we’re trying to do, putting in new sets, guys not being in the right spots. A lot of it is [the Spurs] are active and they're good. We have to be a little bit smoother in what we're doing in trying to clear out. Again, we're trying to put the ball inside all the time into a tight spot. We got a lot of guys in there, so it's just trying to clean and do a better job. Some of it was we just mishandled the ball. We just got to be a little more careful with the ball."
 Fighting back with force is a tricky tactic. L.A. is already undermanned without Kobe Bryant out there. Should Howard foul out; coming close in Game 1, picking up five, they'll be putting even more pressure on their role players to play over their heads.
 Since Kobe’s injury, the Laker’s future has been a little shaky. But the Lakers and Bryant stay confident that they won’t just make the playoffs but win a championship. Bryant stated, “There’s no reason we can’t do it. Everything resents in the playoffs.” Now with the injury Steve Nash, Bryant might want to think again with those words.
It’s hard to understand that the Lakers will be entering the playoffs, without Bryant and possibly without Nash, as confident as they’ve been all season. But confidence is what they felt after their 99-95 overtime win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday to clinch the seventh see and a first round match up against the San Antonio Spurs; which begins on Sunday.
Mike D’Antoni envisioned a new team. They are finally playing defense with the kind of intensity that Dwight Howard hoped they would. The Lakers are playing inside-out and relying on their “bigs” as Pau Gasol and Howard have pleaded since November.
Howard and Gasol are taking control of the Lakers team and are headed towards the championship. Another new point in the Lakers game is the use of their bench. When Kobe was playing, they bench was only 2 deep, with subbing every once in a while. Now, the bench is actually being used! Jamison scored 16 points and grabbed 4 rebounds on Wednesday and also contributing Darius Morris added 5 points and 2 assists. But the biggest Cinderella bench story is the new-found identity of Steve Blake who had 24 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds. Blake has had 47 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds, in the last two games.
Steve Blake:
“It’s been fun the last two games but it’s a total team effort. We feel really good on the defensive end in our game plan and how focused we are on that end of the floor. And offensively we’re throwing the ball into the post and letting those guys go to work. We throw some pick and rolls here and there and keep their defense off balance.”
D’Antoni loves watching his team develop and grow together with the little playing experience with Howard, Gasol, and Nash have had with only playing 22 games together. The team has been moving the ball more and getting everyone involved and actually working as a team. With Kobe on the court, his presence is over whelming to some teammates. D’Antoni states, “One of our problems is that everybody wanted to be the guy and we just couldn’t do that. Now other guys have stepped up and they’ve always been the guy wherever they’ve been.”
 Grover has been Bryant’s trainer since 2007. He’s nursed him back from all sorts of serious injuries and helped him find a work-around to knee issues that once threatened the guard's career. So long as Bryant had the will to do the training and attack the problems, Grover would give him solutions and courses of action. Grover stated, “I knew it was something serious.”
Grover's Words:
“It didn’t hurt me as much as it hurt him, but it’s pretty close. I just know how much this means to him and how hard he’s worked to be in this position.”
“Kobe always wants to know everything. Every detail. Why we’re doing this? What our options are? He’s very detail-oriented.”
“This is going to be a mental battle of whether he wants to go through this or he doesn't want to go through this. Forget the age thing, how many minutes he's played, if he gets in that single mind and says, 'I want to do this. I'm going to do this.' Then we've won the battle."
“He’s insatiable in his desire to work . . . No one in the game today works harder or invests more in his body.”
Grover was recommended by his longtime client Michael Jordan after Jordan retired, and has been essentially been at Bryant’s side ever since. But a torn Achilles tendon was something altogether different for Grover. There are no strengthening exercises to get you back on the court in a few days. You can’t push through the pain. You’re just out, for a good long while.
Grover knew this would be challenging to over-come so he started preparing himself just a few hours after the injury. He researched everything to be able to give Kobe options and allowed him time to think it all through. He was there to help answer any questions and help him make the best decisions for the future.
Was it better to have surgery right away or wait?
Are there options besides surgery?
How long would the recovery take?
Who has made the best recovery from a similar injury?
Kobe is clearly up to the challenge. The biggest issue will be slowing him down enough to allow the injury to heal before building him back up. That trait is what separates athletes like Kobe, Jordan and Dwyane Wade from other superstars. They have a relentless drive, and then they act on it.
L.A’s game Number 81 of the season and game number 1 without Kobe. It figured to be an emotional night in the first game since Kobe went out with his devastating season ending Achilles tear. The Lakers were able to use the charged atmosphere to its advantage as they defeat the Spurs, 91-86.
How it happened:
The Lakers were able to control the game from the tip and withstood the hack-a-Howard strategy that the San Antonio Spurs tried to use going into the fourth quarter. But the Lakers were able to stay a-float thanks to some clinch fourth quarter buckets by Antawn Jamison and made free throws by Dwight Howard and Steve Blake.
Meaning:
If the Utah Jazz lose either of their next two games; Minnesota Timberwolves (Monday) or at the Memphis Grizzlies (Wednesday), the Lakers are secured in the playoffs no matter what happens on Wednesday when the Houston Rockets travel to L.A. in their regular season final game.
Highlights:
Howard was cold from the free throw line going 4-11 in the third quarter, but he was lights out all game for the most part. He is stepping his game up since the absence of Kobe and taking over the team with 26 points, 17 rebounds, and shooting 9-15 from the floor.
Steve Blake had 23 points, topping the 20 point plateau for just the 17th time of his 10 year career.
Jamison contributed 15 points total, with 9 just in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers shot just 31 for 85 from the field which is; 36.5%, and still managed to win by holding San Antonio to 37.1% shooting overall.
 On April 13, Kobe Bryant fell to the floor; knowing immediately what had happened. He knew he was hurt but didn't want to believe it as he tried to get up and put pressure on his left foot. Kobe had played every minute of the Friday night game before he suffered what is believed to be a torn Achilles tendon.
“I knew,” as Bryant shook his head saying, “For sure.”
Bryant had heard the horror stories from others who have been through the injury. It is said to be one of the easier injuries for players and trainers to diagnose on the spot.
“I was just hoping it wasn't what I knew it was,” Bryant said. “I tried to walk it off hoping that the sensation would come back but no such luck.”
How it happened:
Bryant was trying to get around Harrison Barnes with 3:08 left in the game against the Golden State Warriors; when he crumbled to the ground. The Los Angeles Lakers were trailing 109-107.
Free Throws:
Amazingly, Bryant limped back onto the court and drilled two free throws to tie the score before leaving the court once again. Directly after he was escorted back to the locker room by Lakers center Robert Sacre and team trainer Gary Vitti.
Big Game:
This game was a huge game for the Lakers in order to attain a spot in the playoffs. The Lakers had just defeated the Warriors 118-116; which maintained a one-game lead over the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
After Game Events:
The game winning Lakers were supposed to be celebrating about clinching a playoff spot, but if anything, it looked as if the Lakers had just been eliminated and were staring into the harsh reality of a long, uncertain off-season. Players dressed quietly in front of their lockers, while reporters asked questions. Players were answering with soft whispers as if they were speaking at a funeral.
Bryant is often viewed as an indestructible robot who can defy age and injuries. But Bryant’s NBA mortality and vulnerability were on full display as he exited the training room. Bryant had pushed himself to the absolute limit to get the Lakers to the playoffs, by pushing himself to play every minute and scoring 40+ points on back-to-back games.
Kobe’s Words:
I was really tired. I was just tired in the locker room. Upset and dejected and thinking about this mountain I have to overcome. This is a long process. I wasn't sure I could do it. But then the kids walked in here, and I had to set an example. ‘Daddy’s going to be fine. I’m going to do it.’ I’m going to work hard and go from there.
It's fueling me. I can feel it already. Players at this stage of their careers and then they pop their Achilles and they say they're never going to come back the same. I can hear it already. It's pissing me off right now.
 Shaquille O’Neal’s number 34 jersey was hung up in the rafters next to all the Laker legends at the Staple Center last night, but something wasn’t right. Not very many people noticed, but the #34 jersey doesn’t only stand out as being the first modern Laker jersey hung, it also stands out as being the first jersey that is hung BACKWARDS.
Take a closer look. O’Neal’s name is printed right under the V-neck collar where we usually see the team name printed; the back of the jersey has a higher collar. Jeanie Buss presented Shaq with a correct jersey during last night ceremony, which should have been a replica of the one hanging in the raptures. People questioned whether or not all the retired jerseys in the Staples Center showcase the player’s name on the front, as it is a bit difficult to tell with the retro crew necks the Lakers used to wear, but Lakers spokesman John Black stated that it was indeed a mistake:
“The oversight will be corrected and a new jersey put up as soon as possible.”
Dave McMenamin tweeted that the jersey is expected to be fixed by Friday’s game against Memphis.
A lot happened at the Staples Center tonight. Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey was retired, ZZ Top attended, and the Lakers and Mavs were fighting for a spot in the post-season. The Mavs came in having won six of their last 10 games and currently sit at #10 in the Western Conference standings, right behind the Lakers. The Lakers needed this win so the Mavs keep their distance from the Lakers chance of getting into post-season. Kobe and the Lakers rose to the occasion with a win, 101-81 victory.
Key Points:
Kobe Bryant- Kobe played for his 47 minutes for his second game in a row. His production and the production he exorcises out of his team when he plays the whole game have ended 2-0 so far. Kobe is able to help his teammates play their best when he is on the floor. Kobe not only scored 23 points but also grabbed 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and racked up four steals and two blocked shots. Kobe contributed to his team and his teammates tonight.
Double Doubles- Earl Clark, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol all reached double doubles, combining for 55 points and 34 rebounds.
Earl Clark- With Metta World Peace and Steve Nash sitting out, the team looked for someone to step up, and Clark was able to deliver with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 assists, and 5 steals. Clark was able to give the team energy and hustle and did an all-around work for the Lakers.
Paint Points- The Lakers outscored the Mavs 44-26 in the paint.
Dwight Howard- Howard had a lot of motivation for playing at his top level because of the jersey retirement of Shaquille O’Neal. He dominated by putting in 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Howard has taken a lot of jabs from O’Neal and now that the #34 is hanging at the Staples Center will serve as a constant reminder of the dominant center that Shaq claims he was, and also claims that Howard is not and will probably never be.
Defense- The Lakers actually played defense this game. Hopefully they will be able to commit to it throughout the regular season and continue through post-season. The most they gave up was 21 points in a quarter. The Mavs had a low scoring game with Chris Kaman leading the team with just 14 points. The Lakers also dominated the glass 57-37.
 Everyone has been wondering when Kobe Bryant’s career will come to an end. It is ultimately his decision to call it quits or continue his extremely impressive career. Kobe, as a rookie, stated that he didn’t have plans on playing past 35 years of age, or until he could no longer play at the extremely high level he performs at, and he’s stuck to his guns up to this point in his career. Everyone would love to watch Kobe continue playing until he can no longer play anymore. He has been with the Laker franchise since he was traded to Los Angeles on draft day in 1996, and he has no plans on ever playing for anyone but the Lakers. Kobe has given himself a deadline of this upcoming summer to declare if he is planning on retiring or play on. Kobe states:
“I’ll talk to my family and stuff and really see if I want to continue to sacrifice as much as I’m sacrificing right now. I’m putting my body through a lot to just try to get ready to play every single night. To do what I’m doing right now, it’s not easy. I’ll tell you, it’s taken a lot of commitment.”
Kobe Bryant sure has a lot of talent, but to tap into the full potential of that talent takes sacrifice, commitment, and a strong love for the game. Kobe was asked if he thinks next season will be his last, and Bryant replied:
“As I sit here right now, yeah.”
Bryant was then asked; Is there anything the Lakers can say that would make it more likely you play beyond next season?
“No. It’s my decision. It’s really about what I want to do, if I want to train and be psychotic with my training. That’s what it comes down to. It’s really how I’m feeling physically.”
I have a feeling that Kobe will continue beyond next season, or like Michael Jordan, he will realize he made a mistake and make a comeback. Kobe has worked extremely hard over the past 17 years in the NBA. Doing the amount of sacrifice and dedication to the game for another 3 years is a quite daunting to think of. This summer will be highly intriguing for Los Angeles with the pending resigning of Dwight Howard and what direction the Lakers organization would like to take the franchise based on Bryant’s decision. In the end, it is Kobe’s decision and nobody else should have a say in the matter.
 Shaquille O’Neal is set to get his jersey retired on Tuesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Shaq is known for his larger than life attitude, but also for the various feuds and skirmishes he was involved in during his NBA career. Both Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant will both be in attendance on Tuesday night. One big feud that took Bryant’s and O’Neal’s battles over the top ended with Shaq getting shipped out to Miami for Lamar Odom. Here’s looking back at some note-able moments in the Kobe/Shaq feud:
1996: Kobe, Shaq both join Lakers
1998: Shaq reportedly jealous of Kobe’s jersey sales; accuses Kobe of playing selfish basketball.
1999-2000: Shaq mocks Kobe’s crossover/turnovers during All-Star Game introductions; states it’s an inside joke between him and Kobe.
2000-2001: Kobe calls out Shaq for coming into camp out of shape. Kobe wants a new roster for change in play; Shaq still wants the ball to run through him in the offense.
2001-2002: Shaq/Kobe played nice for most of the season; ends season with teams third consecutive championship.
2002-2003: Team starts slow. Kobe becomes more aggressive, resulting in strong numbers for Kobe, but Shaq’s inability to get healthy results in poor playoff seeding and loss to Spurs, ending championship run.
2003-2004: Kobe deals with rape accusations. Shaq says Malone, Payton came to L.A. for one player, not two, dismissing Kobe. Shaq also states that Bryant should focus on distributing rather than shooting while recovering from his knee injury. Kobe’s responded that Shaq should focus on playing in the post, rather than worried about the guard position. Phil Jackson fines Kobe for comments made to the press. Ultimately Kobe, Shaq and the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in five games in the NBA Finals.
The feud reaches a high point. L.A. doesn’t bring back Phil Jackson, and Mitch Kupchak says he would consider trading O’Neal, which made Shaq to demand a trade. Shaq goes to Miami and Bryant signs a long-term extension with the Lakers.
Skipping to the more recent years:
2010-11: Shaq retires from the NBA, essentially ending the on-court rivalry between Bryant. Shaq stated, “I don’t like to live in a world of ifs. But if we would have stayed, possibly we could have got six [championships].”
2011-12: Kobe passes Shaq on the all-time scoring list, prompting Shaq to say he was proud of Bryant’s accomplishments. Kobe opened up about the feud, stating that the two have a good relationship now and that the whole thing was a “good learning experience.”
Kobe Bryant has reached yet another milestone on Saturday night, passing NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain on the NBA all-time scoring list. Kobe headed into Saturday’s game against the Sacrament Kings only four points away from matching Chamberlain’s point total of 31, 419. Kobe was hurting from a bone spur in his foot during the game, but the veteran shooting guard fought through the injury to play against the division rival, Sacramento Kings.
In the beginning of the second quarter, Kobe scored on John Salmons at the free throw line and drained the jumper to surpass Chamberlain. Kobe is now fourth on the list of elite scorers in NBA history with Michael Jordan (32, 392), Karl Malone (36,928) and Kareem Adbul-Jabbar (38,387) ahead of the perennial All-Star.
The future Hall of Famer sets his sights on the final eight games of the season to help the Lakers clinch the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers look to take down the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks in the final weeks of the regular season.
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